Martha Stewart on Making Ugly Things Beautiful at CES 2025

The result points to the value that can be created by connecting the right personalities to cultural moments. Stewart pointed to Taylor Swift’s outsized influence on NFL viewership, and how fashion designer Kristin Juszczyk (who is married to 49ers fullback Kyle Juszczyk) obtained a license from the NFL to create fashionable spectator attire for fans.

“The first woman to change disgusting football jerseys into incredible dresses,” Stewart said, to a burst of laughter from the crowd.

With a store that launched just this month, Juszczyk’s brand Off Season has already been worn by celebrities including Swift, Simone Biles, Brittany Mahomes, and Taylor Lautner.

Find the right content medium

Over the course of her career, Stewart has used practically every medium to connect with her fans—from books and magazines to television, radio, podcasts, social media, and live events. Her favorite, though, is radio and podcasting, she said.

“My early books were about how to do it yourself—recipes, of course, teaching you how to cook a meal, how to throw a fabulous party,” Stewart said. “When I started the magazine, we took it even further. We did craft projects. We taught you how to do everything.”

From there, the “omnimedia” company moved into “omnimerchandizing,” she explained. “People wanted to have the finished product. People are not lazy, but they’re occupied with other things, and they need to buy.”

Next, it all moved onto the internet—building out a digital empire. “We’ll see what’s coming now with AI,” Stewart said.